case study of shaman plain flood control project, yakawlang district, bamyan province agrarian...
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Case study of Shaman plain flood control project, Yakawlang district, Bamyan Province
Agrarian system and impact assesments
Lessons learnt from the evolution of the needs and the relations between all stakeholders
in a transitional state from relief to development
Based on a 5 months survey in Partnership with Solidarités By David LETY
Institutionnal framework
Solidarités implements the « rural development support of Yakawlang district» (3 years)
four components : Agricultural Training (dissemination of good agricultural
practices) Trade Exchange (in and out commercialisation
improvement) Micro-Projects (support to the more vulnerable persons
and promotion of energy renewable) Rehabilitation of rural Infrastructures: irrigation canals and
the Shaman plain flood control
Yakawlang
A 2400 ha plain on the band e Amir valley (altitude of 2450 m)
About 30 villages and 15 000 inhabitants Agro-pastoral system (meadows, grazing
lands and cropping fields)
Shaman plain
Problem generated by yearly floods prevents land cultivation and high yields Favours salinity Humidity in the house of the plain:
negative impacts on population health Prevents people movements because the
main road is flooded for many months
Nayak
Natural dam
Map of Shaman plain.This map is coming from Russian map 1/50,000 scale. One square corresponds to 1 km2.
River
Canyon entrance and outlet of the water flow
East limit of the plainDigging of the river
Flood control project
Objective is to improve 500 ha out of 2400 ha
Challenges of the project in a transitional context: from relief to development
Land development raises several Issues: In which extent will the farmers modify their cropping
and production systems? will the project benefit from all of them?
Will land tenure be restructured and how? Is this process likely to generate any new conflicts?
Will the communities be able to ensure the sustainability of the new system?
As institutions are being rebuilt, new considerations emerged, who is in charge of ensuring that
communities’ interests prevail?
Methodology based on a system analysis
semi directives enquiries to analyze dynamics of the region
Focus on: agriculture social organization and natural resources
management land tenure
Technical issue is not the aim of this study
Project review
May 2004: Initial survey : local population strongly requested the Shaman plain flood control, local authorities also ask for the project.
Plan to subcontract feasibility studies
Contract: the whole responsibility of the project is given to the district governor and Solidarités has an assistant status
Feasibility studies: geotechnical, topographical, land use, hydrological.
Due to lack of ex ante data, Solidarités was not able to have a precise hydrological survey: Solidarités decide to implement a trial on work site
Winter 2004-2005 : trial on work site Community mobilization, meeting and agreement of Shaman plain representatives for work implementation
Call for tender : a private company is selected to dig the canyon
October 2005: Project pending by central government (NEPA answerable to the MEW)
« Aylaks »: high plateau for
transhumance, fodder and bushes
cutting
« Aylaks »
« lalmi »: rain fed area
« lalmi »
« Abi »: irrigated lands
Meadows: fodder cutting
Diversified production system
Main Main constraint is constraint is availability of availability of
irrigated landsirrigated lands
A dynamic of agricultural intensification
Population growth
Decrease of land availability
Agricultural intensification: cash crops, animal husbandry
Cultivation of low yield plots in Shaman plain
Diversity of land use: cultivated lands, pasture and meadows: a wide range of agricultural potential
Cultivated and irrigated lands
Meadows and water meadows
Pastures
The downstream mainly cropped
Meadows and water meadows
Most of the plain is used as meadow
Pastures
Upstream, mainly Pasture
Farming system
10 1750 pasture min shaman10 7000 pasture max shaman
200 af/load 1000 potato100 af/load 3000 average winter wheat
min winter wheat shamanmax winter wheat Shamanmeadows (driest)meadow (wet)
Comparison of the production of Shaman lands and irrigated valleys
0100020003000400050006000700080009000
10000
averagewinter wheat
min winterwheat
shaman
max winterwheat
Shaman
meadows(driest)
meadow(wet)
afgh
anis/jerib
Land potential: in the irrigated valleys
By increasing land productivity, Shaman plain flood control project is supporting the agricultural intensification
Cultivated lands: increase of yields
Cultivated lands over runned by reeds: increase of yields
Meadows; increase of yield or taken into cultivation
Irrigation and drainage system
A functional irrigation system
Few drainage canals
The project is improving an existing system without changing drasticlly it
Land tenure
Governemental lands
Foothills lands: few landowners
Shaman lands: lot of small landowners
Large area of Shaman plain a lot of landowners concerned by the project
Potential Impacts
How many lands will be dried, considering the first phase of work and the second one?
What will be the project impact on the land yields? The digging of new drainage canals will it be needed? What will be the impact on river flow downstream,
sedimentation process, erosion in the canyon
Nevertheless, according to a lack of climatic datas, it remains questions on the hydrological impacts
The Shaman project is relevant and the expected impacts are mainly positive.
A new power struggle; reasons of project pending
Since the beginning of project implementation: the district governor is the main responsible of the project But procedures were unclear and Solidarités did not include
officially central government.
The government is now rightly asking more consultation and claiming more control of activities led by NGOs
Reasons of pending based on the issues of environmental impacts and explosives use
Development of institutions, some new considerations
Population: total support to increase land productivity
Central governement:long term vision considering environmental issues
Shaman plain flood control project is supporting endogenous dynamic
How to combine environmental and development issues?
How to be sure that the communities’ interests prevail ?
Interests differ:
Social organization: One of the challenges for such project
Water management generally involves several villages and relies on social structures.
Communities are responsible for the construction of irrigation and drainage canals.
How social organization will impact the sustainability of the new system?
Evolution of power struggle and social organization
MirsCommunist
administrationArbâbWar:
commandants
New governement:
2001End of XIX th
1989-2001
1930-1979
1979-1989
Hierarchic system
Mobilization for collective work
implementation of Shouras
Cash allows project
implementaion
Social organization and natural resource management
Nowadays, increase of individualism: new difficulty to organize people without funds.
If we have to consider a new organization: can the communities take initiatives for construction, maintenance?
Is the « participative approach » really sustainable if it needs external funds to mobilize communities?
Conclusion-discussion
Several issue have to be taken into account for such a project of land development: system analysis can be one of the methods
How to improve consultation between the stakeholders considering their various interests?
How to combine environmental and development issues?
How mobilize communities? How make them able to be aware of their responsabilities?